Discharge mechanism for concrete mixers



July 2,- 1935. c. F. BALL DISCHARGE MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed June 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l r.. Il.

fimingwuewkoz Chaslfa/Z,

dummy Juiy 2, 1935. c. F. BALL 2,006,728

DISCHARGE MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed June 24, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 l DISCHARGE 3ra/vento@ Patented July 2, 1935 PATENT: vOFFICE i DISCHARGE M1:

HANISM FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Y Charles F. Ball, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Chain Belt Company, poration, of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wis., a cor- Applicaton June 24, 1931, Serial No. 546,591

. 4 Claims.

This invention relates to discharge mechanism for concrete mixers and other similar agitating 1 apparatus and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this `character which will be simple 5 in construction, comparatively, inexpensive to manufacture and install and more eiiicient in use than those which have been heretofore proposed. InV my prior U. S. Patent No. 1,781,965 I have disclosed and claimed a concrete mixer of the .truck or transit type in which the rotatable mixingdrum is provided with spiral mixing blades or vanes which, when'the drum is rotated in one direction assist in the mixing action and move the constituents longitudinally toward the forward :end'of the drum and away from the discharge opening which is located in the rear end wall. Upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the mixing drum .these blades or vanes move' the mixed concrete in the opposite direction, longitudinally toward the rear of the drum and toward the discharge opening. The drum is pro-vided at its rear end adJac-entV the discharge opening with buckets, shown in my said patent as constituting Y extensions of the said mixing blades which, during Y the said reversed rotation, pick up the mixedk concrete and deposit it into a discharge chute which normally is positioned outside of the drum' but which during the discharge period is moved about a -pivot to enter the discharge opening to a position whereit may receive the concrete as it is dumped from the said buckets. Thetype of discharge just described is also commonly used in other forms of rotating drumj concrete mixers such as small contractors mixers and street pavers.

The presentY invention has for its principal objectto' provide an improved construction which;

. will take the place of the buckets above referred views:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a transit mixer of the general type shown in my said prior patent,-certain of the parts being'broken away and the mixing drum being shown in longitudinal section on approximately the plane indige chute heretofore cated by the line'I-I of Figure 3 and provided with discharge mechanismconstructed in' accord; ance with the present invention; Y

Figure 2 is a rear end elevational view of the mixing drum shown in Figure 1, the end wall being partly broken away to more clearly disclose the pick-up or discharge mechanism;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the said drum, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 3j-3 "of Figure 1 and looking in the opposite-direction to Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary', horizontal sectional'v View through the discharge Vend of the drum, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

In the said drawings,` Il) indicates generally a motor truck upon thechassis of which is mounted a mixing or agitating unit II which includes the rotatable mixing ldrum I2 driven in any suitable manner as by means of an independent motor contained inv the housing I3, allV as disclosed in my said prior Patent No. 1,781,965. The said drum is provided with a discharge opening I4 in its rear end Wall I5 and is also provided upon its `interior surface with the helical mixing blades or vanes 'lwhich move the concrete materials toward the front end of the drum when the latter is rotated in one direction, and reverse such movement when the drum isu rotated in the opposite direction, as will be read ily understood.

In place of the discharge buckets shown and described in my said prior patent, I provide a plurality, preferably two, pick-up elements I8, positioned adjacent and secured to the rear Yend wall I5 of the drum by brackets or 'by welding, as may be desired. These pick-up and discharge elements are preferably stamped from sheet metal to provide a: longitudinal wall 2i) and a vertical" Wall 2| at substantially right angles to the-wall 20. The elements are thus substantially L-shaped in cross Asection and 'together with the end wall I5 of the drum,` form Vtransversely extending 1 troughs in Vwhich the wall 20 constitutes the bottom of the trough, and the wall 2l together with the end wall I5 of the Vdrum constitute the y toward the said opening so that concrete or other Vmaterialwhich may be picked up in the trough and which will be .moved toward the said opening over the bottom wall 20 when the drum is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewedv in Figure 3, will bev diverted `to and through the discharge opening `YI4 as will be readily understood from the drawings. The adjacent edges of the companion side walls 2'I are turned.V outwardly at substantially right angles, 'as indicated at 24 to assist in this movement of the concrete through the discharge opening.

When the drum is rotated in a counterclock;A

Wise'or mixing direction indicated by the leftl 175Y hand arrow in Figure 3, the'rmixing blades kI6 will move the material away from the discharge opening I4 as previously described,. and during such rotation no material will be picked up byV the arcuate troughs I8. However,'when,the .ro-V

tationof the drum is reversed, asindicated by v the Aright Vhandl arrow in Figure 3, the material will be moved lby the blades I6 toward the dis-V charge opening, andthe troughs I8 will segregate and pick up portions thereof which during the inclination of the bottom walls!!! as the troughs [are rotated willk slide down ythe said troughs to the discharge ,openingl I4 where it will be deected by the angularly disposed'portions 22 and 24 of the side walls 2| out through the 34;,1 said opening and'into the discharging hopper V25.'

Itrwill thus beseen thatihecontents of the drum'may be vquickly and eiciently discharged through the opening I4 without the necessity for the uselof the usual discharge chute and its jY ,j manual or power manipulation.

Iftwi-ll be noted from YFigures 2 and 3 that the complementary .end ,lportions 22 and `24 vof the two pick-up troughs I8 are arranged to substantially completely shieldthe discharge opening I4 40;,:against ldirect 'longitudinal movement of the 75 the claims.

material within the drum through such opening.

In otherwords, the concrete mixture or the rawY ingredients thereof when loaded linto thedrum" are'prevented from moving directly through the opening 'I4-in an axial direction 'by reason Aof the end portions 22vand'24 of the said troughs'which j in /eiectprovide a transversepartition Wall, past which the drum contents cannot Viind its way directlybut only when picked up within the troughsand moved in a transverse direction substantially radially to the said opening where it is `deilected longitudinally through the opening by thev vsaidjdeilected -po1tionsf22 and 24. This v is of material importance. in transit mixers where` iid/.the iusual 4practice' isto load the drums muchY above .the lowest point of the discharge openingV circumference as; it will prevent the material t from passing throughithe opening and being losti in-the event the usual discharge closure is not' employed or has been inadvertently not put in place. i Y

f The invention Yhas been shown and described` y ini-connection with a transit mixer,- but this has -been for illustrative purposes only, and it will be 5 vreadily -understoodvthatit is equallysusceptible of use in stationary, portable, and paving mixers.

While one form ofthe invention has been dscribed `it isobvious that those skilled inthe vart `'may lvary the details of construction as well as thel precise' arrangement of :parts without de- I parting from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not wishedto be limited to the above disclosure Vexcept as may be required by' what is claimed is: a

1, In mixing and agitating apparatus, are- Y ceptacle having an end wall provided with a Y discharge opening; and transversely extending pick-up members adjacent said end wall terminating at said opening, for receiving and direct# ing the contents oi? the ,receptacle ltransversely thereof to and through mid Openinlgmttbns of the walls of said members being comlene'ntarily arranged' adjacent said opening to provide a :shield substantially completely closing said openingtodirect 11 movement oi the contents therethrough;

2.7In mixing and agitating apparatus, Va ro- I ytatahle `receptacle'having an end wallrprovided `with. a dischargeopening; and transversely-extending pick-up `troughs adjacent said end wall Efor receiving and directing the contents of rsaid receptacle transversely thereof to said opening, the discharge-.end portions of the inner side walls of sainV troughs-being provided with projecting inte said Lopening and having-sammy i disposed members arranged-.meiste .back suh-V stantially diametricallyfvof said opening, iorfde-" fleeting thetransversely moving material inthe troughs and directing; itriongitudmali'y thrown saidopening. f ;3.=In a .truck mounted concrete mixer 'oraaltatorhaving a .rotatable .drum provided. with aftransvrerse lend Awall having an t axial :discharge: opening, the body portion loir saiddxrumxbeingl provided with agitating blades arrangedtomove the contents of the drum V,longitudinally'tihereotr inone djrectionor.:.theV other according tothe:

direction of. rotation of the drum,V 'a ,phirality of transverse pick-upY troughs extending fsubsiansr tially radially along said transverse' endiwall' the side wallof the vdrum tor said discharge ,open-v ingr `for conveying the ymaterial to said `opening when the drumis rotated -in `such direction 'fto cause itsagitating blades to move said mata-iai toward said end wall, eachroi' `said'troughshavf ing'a bottom and aside wail, `the inner end portions of said walls'being :cumplernentarilyfar-w ranged adjacent said opening to completelyshield the same against discharge of thev material there-iI through except by Ymeans lof the troughs when the dru'mzis rotated inthe discharging direction.'-

4. In aY truck mounted concre'termixer or agitator havingv a, Irotatableidrum provided .with a transverse Y end rwall havingy an axial:disohrarge'fl opening, the body portion of'said provided Vwith agitating blades arranged to move# the contents of the drumiongitudinally thereof in onedirection or'the otherzaccording; toftlie direction of rotation of the drum, a., 'phxralityof Y discharging direction, the said inner end of said trough side walls having' 'angulariexte'nsions projecting through saidopening the material from its transverse path iongitudif nally through said opening. Y 'l f Y -l Y CHARLESFJBAIL 

